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Soban
Soban is a Zen Master of the Lotus Clan. Overview Like all the highest-level Lotus warlocks, Soban's researches have taken him on a unique path. His work blends clockwork and high wizardry to produce alchemical feats like his tireless servants, the golems. He is called "Lord" as a courtesy for his accomplishments but he holds no political sway, having always kept out of power struggles of the Lotus elite. Soban isn't like the other Lotus Clan warlocks. While he studied the forbidden black magic that seems to consume all the members of that clan, he eventually shunned it, preferring instead to focus on his studies of the earth sciences. Like the other Lotus heroes, Soban is old, and he himself remembers a time when the clan hadn't yet discovered the forbidden arts. At that time, Soban was a tinkerer, and he spent a lot of his time fashioning lifeless materials like metal and stone into toys and lifelike objects. When his colleagues began practicing the arcane magic that's now so prevalent in the Lotus society, Soban took his work one step further--he started to create life out of lifeless rocks. He ultimately unlocked the secret of golem creation. Behind his back, Soban's colleagues deride him as a mere tinkerer or mechanic, but his powers are genuine. The Wolf Clan's Shale Lord is a result of one of his experiments gone wrong. In battle, Soban carries a claw engine, another one of his creations. This three-pronged weapon is attached to his forearm and gives him an improved striking ability. Battle Gear Trivia *Soban is an oddity among the Lotus; for one, he has shunned the corruptive magics of his colleagues, focusing on his own studies. Secondly, he is not inherently cruel or malicious like most of his colleagues. While it's true that he is hardly benevolent, his only concern is his research and his creations. Soban actually worked to relieve the Wolf clan of their imprisonment in the mines, but that in itself was born out of a desire for more industrious workers (like his golems) rather than any good will towards the Wolf. He also imprisoned Gaihla and plans to dissect her in his lab, and was the creator of the Lotus Reapers. *Soban's golems are much more effective at harvesting rice and water (at least until version 1.50q). Using all three of them to harvest rice would free a large number of peasants to be dedicated somewhere else. Since they are disposable and explode upon death, they can be used as suicide bombers to enemies who would engage them. *Soban can be recruited by Kenji in the original Battle Realms campaign, should Kenji follow the path of the Dragon Clan and assault the correct region. Soban will be seen arguing with his colleague, Koril, about his creations; Koril wants Soban to detonate his golems on a mountainside in an effort to kill Shinja, Otomo and their army as they scale the mountain. However, Soban refuses to waste his golems in such a callous manner, and when Koril says that Soban must follow his orders (because he is Zymeth's second-in-command), Soban finally snaps; he rejects the entire Lotus Clan and offers his services to the Serpent instead (which has been remade into the Dragon Clan at that point in time). As long as the player can keep Soban alive until the end of the mission, he will be available from that point on in all future missions, being recruitable from the Keep. *Soban's reaction to Koril's order contradicts his own use of the golems in Grayback's Journey, in which he orders his golems to attack. It's possible that Soban gained a better appreciation for their lack of combat abilities after this incident, thereby making his reaction in Kenji's Journey most fitting. *According to data mined in the tab Data_Sounds in Battle Realms.dat, Soban should have the innate ability Earth Fist, with its own vacant sound slot, yet without any corresponding .wav sound file. *In the campaign, Soban summoned a Golem as a demonstration. If the player: :: (1) Let that Golem live until '''after' Soban would've switched side'', then Soban would move according to his programmed path towards Issyl's & Korils' bases (in whichever order). Any player's command upon Soban to move elsewhere shall mess up Soban's programming and cause him to move erratically. :: (2) Destroy the Golem '''before' Soban would've switched side'', then Soban would not move as programmed, and players may command him however players please. Gallery Soban - Lotus Clan.jpg|Soban Concept Art Lotus Soban.gif Quotes (Move) *''"Fine!"'' *''"I'm going!"'' *''"Yes, yes!"'' *''"Over there! Right?"'' *''"Do this! Do that!"'' *''"Move here! Move there!"'' *''"Heh! Whatever!"'' *''"I know! I know!"'' Quotes (Attack) *''"Whackity-whack!"'' *''"Bashin' time... BASHIN' TIME!"'' *''"BAM! BAM! BAM!"'' *''"I'll pop 'em!"'' *''"We'll crush them!"'' *''"Stompity-Stomp!"'' Quotes ( Combat) * "Take this!" * "Aaah... Quit it!" Quotes (Kill) *''"That must've hurt!"'' *''"Oooh.. flying teeth!"'' *''"Was that your eye?"'' *''"You like that one, do ya?"'' *''"Who's your daddy?! Hahahaaa!"'' *''"Heeee-hee-hee-hee-heeh!"'' *''"You don't look so good... Haa!"'' *''"Haha... BASH! BASH! BASH! Hehe..."'' Quotes (Heal) * "Perfect!" * "Woo-hoooo!" Category:Lotus Clan Category:Melee Unit Category:Zen Masters